Technology Deployment Centers

Many of Sandia's unique research centers are available for use by U.S. industry, universities, academia, other laboratories, state and local governments, and the scientific community in general. Technology deployment centers are a unique set of scientific research capabilities and resources. The primary function of technology deployment centers is to satisfy Department of Energy programmatic needs, while remaining accessible to outside users.

Contact

For more information about Sandia technology deployment centers or for help in selecting a center to meet your needs, contact Mary Monson at mamonso@sandia.gov, (505) 844-3289.

Advanced Power Sources Laboratory

The Advanced Power Sources Laboratory (APSL) at Sandia provides comprehensive capabilities in power source research, engineering, characterization, evaluation, and testing. Supporting APSL is a staff of more than 40 scientists, engineers, and technicians with backgrounds in chemistry, electrochemistry, metallurgy, chemical engineering, materials science, engineering, and physics.

User liaison

Weapon and Force Protection Center

The Center for Security Systems is a fully integrated research-to-development-to-application center that provides systems and technologies that understand, identify, and solve the nation's security problems. The Center includes extensive development and testing facilities for all aspects of physical security, including the following:

Availability

This facility is available to support any application that can benefit from its unique capabilities. However, because of the sensitivity of government security applications, some facilities and information may not be available to non-U.S. citizens. To make arrangements to use the Center for Security Systems, contact the user liaison.

User liaison

Combustion Research Facility

For more than 30 years The Combustion Research Facility (CRF) has served as a national and international leader in combustion science and technology. The need for a thorough and basic understating of combustion and combustion-related processes lies at the heart of the CRF research, which ranges from studying chemical reactions in a flame to developing an instrument for the remote detection of gas leaks. Users and partners have access to state-of-the-art facilities and an expert staff that brings with them enhanced knowledge and new approaches to combustion and combustion related research.

Availability

These facilities are available to support applications that can benefit from their unique capabilities. To find out more about opportunities to engage this facility in your work, contact the user liaison listed below.

User liaison

Design, Evaluation, and Test Technology Facility

The mission of this facility, composed of numerous specialized facilities, is to simulate a wide range of environments for component and system testing. The environments can range from normal in-use environments to extreme accident conditions. In addition, a wide array of diagnostic equipment, such as nondestructive testing, photometric and optics, and electronic data acquisition, is maintained and developed to support testing and research activities. Tests as diverse as characterization of printed circuit board solder connection strength to full-scale impact testing of transport vehicles have been accommodated.

Distributed Energy Technology Laboratory (DETL)

The Distributed Energy Technologies Laboratory (DETL) is an extension of the power electronics testing capabilities of the Photovoltaic System Evaluation Laboratory (PSEL). DETL is configured as a 480V, 3-phase microgrid with interconnections to the utility grid and to various distributed energy resources including photovoltaic inverters, microturbines, fuel cells, reciprocating engine-generators, and electrical energy storage systems. DETL provides expertise and test support to perform the following functions:

User liaison

Explosive Components Facility

The 98,000-square-foot Explosive Components Facility (ECF) is a state-of-the-art facility that provides a full-range of chemical, material, and performance analysis capabilities for energetic materials and explosive components:

User liaison

Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications (MESA)

Sandia's primary mission is ensuring the U.S. nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, reliable, and can fully support the nation's deterrence policy. Employing only the most advanced and failsafe technologies to fulfill our responsibilities as stewards of the nuclear stockpile, Sandia is responsible for the development, design and maintenance of approximately 90 percent of the several thousand parts found in any given weapon system, including radiation-hardened microelectronics.

In support of this mission, Sandia has a significant role in advancing the state-of-the-art in microsystems research and development and in introducing microsystems into the nuclear stockpile. Microsystems incorporate radiation-hardened microelectronics, and other advanced components such as micromachines, optoelectronics, and photonic systems. The MESA Complex is designed to integrate the numerous scientific disciplines necessary to produce functional, robust, integrated microsystems and represents the center of Sandia's investment in microsystems research, development, and prototyping activities. This suite of facilities encompasses approximately 400,000 square feet and includes cleanroom facilities, laboratories, and offices.

These facilities are available to support applications that can benefit from their unique capabilities. To find out more about opportunities to engage this facility in your work, contact the user liaison listed below.

Explosive Technology Group (ETG)

The Explosive Technology Group (ETG) provides diverse technical expertise and an agile, integrated approach to solve complex challenges for all classes of energetic materials (EM) and explosive components. The Explosive Technology Group has a plethora of unique technical capabilities that enable an engineering science approach to component design and development, and probe the science underlying EM performance, safety, and reliability in normal and abnormal environments.

Our customer and partner base includes the National Nuclear Security Administration,, other Department of Energy partners, and numerous Work-for-Other customers including Department of Defense , academia, and industry.

Available Resources:

Four specialized buildings housing laboratories and facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, diagnostics, and multiple indoor/outdoor testing sites that support a broad spectrum of engineering and science operations utilizing milligrams to 5,000 pounds of EM.

Integrated multi-disciplinary teams of more than 100 experienced engineers, chemists, physicists, and modelers.

Engineering Sciences Experimental Facilities (ESEF)

The ESEF complex also contains several independent laboratories for experiments and advanced diagnostics in the fields of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, multiphase flows, aerosols, and material decomposition. Our experimental research activities are focused on both advanced diagnostics and fundamental experiments. We seek to improve our understanding of phenomena in areas of fluid flow, heat transfer, and aerodynamics. We develop state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques for application to benchmark experiments aimed at understanding the fundamental nature of complex systems. This understanding is used to develop and validate the theoretical and computer models necessary for system design and analysis.

User liaison

Geomechanics Laboratory

The Geomechanics Laboratory allows its users to measure rock properties under a wide range of simulated service conditions up to very high pressures and complex load paths. The laboratories capabilities make it useful for research and development in underground construction, mining, oil and gas production/reservoir management, hydrocarbon and compressed air storage and much more.

User liaison

National Solar Thermal Test Facility

The National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) is the only test facility in the United States of its type. This unique facility provides experimental engineering data for the design, construction, and operation of unique components and systems in proposed solar thermal electrical plants; planned for large-scale power generation. At 200 feet tall, the NSTTF’s distinct height advantage along with its heat capabilities, offers a unique and complete testing environment to government contractors and agencies, research institutes, universities and private companies.

Ion Beam Laboratory

Sandia's Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) program is recognized as one of the best in the world. It has the ability to examine a wide spectrum of materials, from semiconductors to metals and ceramics. Some of the accomplishments of the program include:

Invented several new ion beam analysis techniques for the quantitative analysis of light elements (H through F), and heavy elements (C through Pu).
Enhanced nuclear microprobe-based Single Event Upset (SEU) imaging system to supply submicron images of charge generation and collection in CMOS ICs. This new application of SEU-imaging is important for understanding and decreasing upset susceptibility.

Availability

This facility is available to support any based firm that has applications that can benefit from its unique capabilities. To make arrangements to use the Ion Beam Laboratory, contact the user liaison or visit the IBA Table of Elements site to quickly retrieve information on the sensitivity, depth of analysis and depth resolution of most of the modern ion beam analysis techniques in an easy to use periodic table.

User liaison

Materials Science and Engineering Center

The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Center at Sandia provides knowledge of materials structure, properties, and performance and the processes to produce, transform, and analyze materials to ensure mission success for our customers and partners, both internal and external.

Access

Those that desire access to the MSE Facilities and Capabilities must
submit a proposal. Full cost recovery applies. For additional
information on the capabilities and for information on the proposal
process contact:

Nuclear Energy Safety Technologies (NEST)

Sandia
National Laboratories' Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Programs provide a
dynamic, multifaceted approach to systems-based research and development of
nuclear energy and fuel cycle technologies. Sandia supports the safe, secure,
reliable, and sustainable use of nuclear power worldwide through strengths in
repository science, nonproliferation, safety and security, transportation,
modeling, and system demonstrations. As a national leader, Sandia strives to
enhance the nation's security and prosperity through sustainable,
transformative approaches to the world's most difficult nuclear energy
challenges.

Nuclear Facilities Resource Center (NUFAC)

The Nuclear Facilities Resource Center (NUFAC) represents an exceptional national resource in providing unique capabilities for developing and applying nuclear solutions to problems of national importance.

User liaison

Photovoltaic Laboratories

The Photovoltaic System Evaluation Laboratory (PSEL) is a multi-user, multi-sponsor facility that conducts research in photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules and performs detailed analysis in PV systems design and characterization. PSEL accelerates the development and adoption of new and emerging photovoltaic technologies. The site location in Albuquerque, NM provides more than 300 days of sun per year, and offers partners premier testing conditions along with highly precise equipment and an experienced and knowledgeable staff.

Availability

The Photovoltaic Laboratories are available to support any application that can benefit from their unique capabilities. To make arrangements for support from these facilities, contact the user liaison.

User liaison

Plasma Materials Test Facility

The Plasma Materials Test Facility (PMTF) at Sandia is a Department of Energy designated technology deployment center and Work for Others facility. The facility offers its users research capabilities in the modeling of plasma/material behavior and interaction, high heat flux testing and evaluation, materials characterization, and electron beam physical vapor disposition.

Some of the PMTF’s unique testing capabilities are not accessible to users anywhere in the world except at Sandia. This facility welcomes private companies and universities to either visit or use the facility when no DOE experiments are under way, or to contract with Sandia directly through a Work for Others agreement to perform the testing.

Availability

These facilities are available to support applications that can benefit from their unique capabilities. To find out more about opportunities to engage this facility in your work, contact the user liaison listed below.

User liaison

Pulsed Power and System Validation Facility

The Pulsed Power and System Validation Technology Deployment Center offers access to unique equipment to support specialized research, along with the expertise to address complex problems dealing with radiation effects.

Availability

This facility is available to support any application that can benefit from its unique capabilities. Arrangements can be made by contacting one of the user liaisons listed below.

Radiation Detection Materials Characterization Laboratory

This facility provides assistance to users from federal laboratories, U.S. industry and academia in the following areas: (1) testing and characterizing radiation detector materials and devices; and (2) determining the relationships between the physical properties of the detector materials and the device response. Systems of interest include scintillators and room-temperature semiconductors for detection arrays of X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons.

User liaison

Shock Thermodynamic Applied Research Facility

The Shock Thermodynamic Applied Research Facility (STAR) facility, within Sandia’s Solid Dynamic Physics Department, is one of a few institutions in the world with a major shock-physics program. This is the only experimental test facility in the world that can cover the full range of pressure (bars to multi-Mbar) for material property study utilizing gas/propellant launchers, ramp-loading pulsers, and ballistic applications.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.